Lady in Waiting
by H Max Marius
Summary: As indicated by Bree and Hwin in HHB, someone is kidnapping Narnians. It is decided that King Edmund must go undercover to root out the culprits. Then Susan gets involved and things get a little out of hand. Poor, poor Edmund will he ever live it down?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This story is dedicated to my partner in crime in this idea, E.C.Peters (better known to some as Squeaklebeep), and to my first and fast fanfic friend Straitjackit. Thanks to my great friends from TheLionsCall's Monday Night Writing Group (eInklings) for the advice and edits! (And, in case it's not obvious... Mericu is pronounced Mary Sue.)

**Chapter One**

"Mericu. Wake up!" An urgent voice hissed quietly.

Waves of pressure lumbered rhythmically through Edmund's head, landing with painful regularity against the backs of his eyes. With a sharp intake of breath he winced, turning away from the tender lump that rose behind his right ear.

Moments later the King was jostled by a sharp poke in the arm. With an impatient grunt he rolled onto his side. As he did so a loud clanking noise thundered in his ears. He could feel a heavy weight around his right wrist and his arm twisted uncomfortably into the small of his back.

Falling flat on his back, the groan escaping Ed's throat was cut short by a sharp inhalation as the bump on his head made contact with the hard surface. Cracking his eyes open he blinked, trying to clear the involuntary tears from his painful, blurry vision. As he slowly focused, he could make out a thick, iron manacle clamped around the tight-fitting, lace embroidery on his arm. Ed stared at the frilly sleeve for a moment, his eyes tracing upward to where it very clearly was attached to a very attractive, formal gown.

A dress that he himself happened to be wearing.

Groggy memories leaked into his brain.

* * *

Grinning broadly, Lucy breezed into the small audience chamber and plopped into the seat beside her brother.

Unable to help himself, Edmund returned her infectious grin. Over the course of the year and a half since they'd arrived in Narnia, her moods had become more and more attuned to the land. Lu seemed to be the heart of the country, her smile bringing sunshine, her tears-- gentle rains, and her exceedingly rare tantrums, well, the northern giants would surely not to venture out into such storms again any time soon.

"So, Counselor Tumnus," The King leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "What is on today's docket?"

The faun shuffled the stack of papers before him then passed one of the pages to Queen Lucy.

"There is but one supplicant today, my lord. Farmer Olin. He moved north from Archenland last autumn with his wife and daughters and settled in a valley five leagues north of here."

Lucy scanned the sheet of paper as Tumnus spoke. Her bright smile faded and her whole demeanor darkened.

Ed briefly contemplated sending a guard for torches to brighten the room until he was interrupted by the young Queen shoving the piece of paper in front of him.

The click of the door latching drew Edmund's attention up from the parchment. His eyes met Olin's haunted face. Dark circles hung under his reddened eyes and his broad shoulders slumped inward.

"Your Majesties," the farmer's voice came in a ragged gasp, catching and fading as his eyes met Lucy's.

The young Queen was out of her chair with her arms wrapped around the the farmer. She had guided him to a chair at the table before the greeting had finished passing his lips. As Olin was seated, she turned to fetch him a hot cup of tea.

At the clink of the cup and spoon against the marble table, his head dropped to his arms and his shoulders quaked with powerful sobs. Tumnus came over and rested a hand against his shoulders as he placed a handkerchief in the farmer's spasming hand.

Gathering his composure, the careworn farmer met Edmund's eyes.

"Elise is Lani and my youngest. For her twelfth birthday we told her she could go to the dance at last week's festival in our valley." His voice quavered. "She never came home."

His fists crashed on the table, making the tea crockery jump. "I've searched everywhere for her. In Aslan's name, please help me find her!"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Many thanks to Inkling, Capegio and Lil Princess for the assistance!

**Chapter 2**

Forest green fabric hung heavily across his legs. Edmund's watery, half opened eyes stared fuzzily past the dress, focusing intently on a beige slipper. He was morbidly fascinated by the movement of the dainty and feminine shoe as he commanded his foot rock and twist.

Once again, the insistent voice hissed in his ear. "Mericu? Are you okay?"

Groaning lightly, Ed closed his eyes again. His head spun and the pit of his stomach swooped and rose. A low creaking sound seemed to echo through his skull where it rested against the wall. An acrid odor and the taste of salt tickled against the back of his throat.

A swish of fabric and the rattling of a chain told him someone was moving around the room. Small, yet strong hands gripped his shoulders and he felt the chain fall heavily against his side.

"Mericu!" The quiet voice hissed insistently. "You have to wake up."

Within him, nausea rose up as his stomach once more pitched and dove. Swallowing hard, he forced it down.

Fluttering open his eyes, his blurry vision cleared to focus on the face that belonged to the whispering voice.

"Lucy?!"

* * *

Thunder rattled against the deep-set windows of the castle.

Lucy's fists were firmly planted on the edge of the table and fury colored her cheeks as she stood staring at her brothers.

"We are sworn to protect Narnia! Farmer Olin deserves our best. Can any of the three of you tell me that my plan won't work?"

Peter sighed and glanced at Susan. Her carefully schooled expression was clearly unhappy, but it gave no clue as to whether she was unhappy with Lucy or with the united front he and Edmund were putting up.

"Lucy, there's nothing wrong with your plan." The High King pointed out. "It is your role in it that we are against. Neither Edmund nor myself are willing to allow you to put yourself into that kind of risk."

Edmund shuffled the stack of parchment he had brought to the meeting, throwing down different pages as he spoke. "Fauns. Talking Horses." He slammed the entire stack down. "Talking beasts of every description! Lu, they aren't just taking young human girls. In the last year, someone has declared open season on our subjects. This is far too widespread and organized to be simple raiders or opportunists."

"But my posing as a one of our targeted subjects is the best chance we have to end this threat." Lucy retorted. "Unless you would like to don the back end of a horse costume?"

Peter stood up quickly, a stern edge to his voice. "LUCY!"

"Wait, Peter." Everyone turned as Susan spoke, her quiet voice barely exceeding the volume of the storm raging beyond the thick stone walls. "Lu has a good point."

The younger Queen dropped back into her seat with a slightly smug grin.

"Not that I would be willing to expose her to the danger any more than either of you are," Susan continued.

Lucy's grin faded. "Susan," she whined.

Ignoring Lucy's pout Susan stared across the table at Edmund. Tilting her head, she rose and stepped around the table.

"Stand up, Edmund."

"Beg pardon?" Ed looked up from the top sheet on the stack he'd dropped.

"Su?" Peter's query seemed to hang in the air over the table.

"Stand up please, Ed. You too, Lucy."

Susan grabbed her younger siblings by the shoulders. After placing them side by side in the middle of the room she proceeded to walk around them, occasionally reaching out to tug at Lucy's dress or press in on Edmund's tunic.

"Peter?" Susan spun and locked eyes with her brother.

Confusion graced Peter's face briefly before his comprehending grin broke free. "When did Lucy get so tall?"

Ed glanced sideways, only to meet his younger sister's eyes. He too suddenly came to the realization that he and Lucy were about the same size.

"Wait a moment." Lucy began to protest.

"No, Lucy." Peter replied. "Your idea for baiting the kidnappers is an excellent one but I would be far more comfortable with someone else as the bait."

Chill air stung Edmund's eyes as he stared from Susan to Peter and back again. "But-- but. I'm a boy!"

Susan smiled, a wicked gleam in her eyes. "Not when I get done with you."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Many thanks once again to the crowd at thelionscall . com and their monday night writing group. Special thanks also to Inkling Astrophel for her valuable feedback.

**Chapter 3**

"Lucy?!" Edmund's voice was a hoarse whisper. "What are you doing..."

His sister lay a hand quickly over his mouth.

Shh Mericu," she whispered urgently in his ear. "No one else knows who you are. Don't break character."

Edmund quickly modulated his voice to a softer pitch before replying with an insistent whisper. "You are not supposed to be here!"

"Too late for that now Meri," she countered.

He closed his eyes and took a moment to compose himself. Yelling at Lucy would do no good, besides he would need her cooperation to get the two of them out of this situation.

"Did you see who grabbed us? Do they know who you are?" Ed's eyes grew large as he contemplated the problems that could arise from the kidnappers knowing they held one of Narnia's Queens.

"I...I don't know." Lucy replied. I saw someone following you around the periphery of the festival so I ducked into the shadows and followed you both, hoping to get a look at who they were. Before you reached the next torch, someone dropped a sack over my head."

Edmund groaned lightly, his ribs and back aching. Reaching up he rubbed a tender spot on the crown of his head. "I never saw them coming. First I knew was the dark bag dropping across my vision and cinching my arms to my waist. I tried to kick free and I guess that's when they clubbed me."

He looked up quickly. "You say you don't think they know who you are?"

Lucy looked thoughtful for a moment then shook her head.

"Then we'd better call you something else too," he whispered.

"All right, what?"

Edmund's reply was interrupted by a tickling in the back of his throat. Unable to suppress the urge to cough, he attempted to take a deep breath. His spine spasmed and popped and his ribs burned against the pressure of the undergarments that compressed his figure.

"How do you girls wear these things?" He hissed.

* * *

Susan and Lucy giggled at Edmund's complaint.

"To begin with dear, soon to be sister." Susan chuckled as she reset her grip on the strings. "They don't squeeze us as tight as they do you. Ready Lucy?"

Lucy leaned forward again, grabbing her brother around his narrowing waist. "Ready Su. Okay Ed, exhale."

It had been agreed that none of Lucy or Susan's ladies in waiting would be involved in Edmund's disguise. As Edmund emptied his lungs, his younger sister braced herself and leaned backwards. Susan groaned loudly while pulling the corset's laces tighter. He felt as if the narrowing waist of the garment was splitting him into North and South Edmund, only connected by the shrinking Isthmus of Pevensie. As the corset ceased contracting, Lucy reached up from where she was holding her brother in place to set a thumb firmly on the strings.

Susan quickly tied them off and checked how even the tension was spread. "That should be good enough for now. If we tighten it a little more each day, in a week he should be small enough to fit in to that party dress you last wore to the dancing lawn, Lu."

Edmund turned to look at himself in Susan's mirror. The voluminous feminine underwear, pantaloons, petticoats and shift were now all cinched firmly beneath the cream and ivory corset. Aside from the underwear with its imposed hints of a wasp-like waistline, he still looked like a boy.

"I look like a jester." He couldn't see how Susan and Lucy were going to soften his appearance.

"Dear _sister_." Susan grinned. "Until your departure for the dance, you shall practice how you hold yourself, walk, move and sit. You will learn the intricacies of feminine hair care, and you will soak in a bath of my preparation every night. By the time you are ready, your appearance and deportment will be as refined as Lucy's or my own."

Lucy frowned deeply as she grabbed one of Edmund's hands and lightly ran her fingers over the callouses he had acquired in his weapons training.

Ed's cheeks heated and he wanted to disappear into the tapestries when due to lack of breath from the corset his reaction to the tickling sensation came out as a giggle.

"Yes Lucy," Susan smiled. "Perhaps she is the daughter of a farmer? You shall need a story to explain your hands, won't you Meri?"

"Meri?" Edmund's head whipped around to stare at her.

"Short for Mericu. We can't go calling a beautiful young lady Ed, now can we?"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Many thanks are again due to the great members of the eInklings: Online Writing Group. I am attempting to get my muse juiced up for a run at writing several more chapters during the next three weeks, so have patience, more is coming. I ain't done torturing Ed yet.

**Chapter 4**

Edmund coughed as deeply as his constricted chest would allow. The light, feminine coughs finally dislodging the dust that had lodged in his windpipe.

Deep concern welled in Lucy's eyes. "Are you all right Meri?"

Eyes closed, Ed tried to clear his irritated throat "Is there any water?" He rasped.

The rattle of the chain on Lucy's wrist jingled far too brightly as she moved across the hold. Opening his eyes, he watched her dip a ladle into the cask secured against the bulkhead. With great care, she returned to his side, crossing the deck without spilling so much as a drop. Kneeling, she tilted the brackish water to his lips.

Ed slowly swirled the liquid around his mouth. Its oaken flavor soaked into his parched tongue for a moment before the water was allowed to slowly trickle down his throat. A coppery aftertaste lingered long after the wetness had faded. Once the water had eased the soreness his coughing fit had caused, the disguised King felt much better. Looking at his sister leaning over him with concern, he felt a gleeful grin tug at the corner of his mouth and eyes.

"Thank you," he paused a moment, holding her eyes with his own. "Lily."

Lucy's eyes flared as the name registered. Long before they'd all stumbled through the wardrobe into Narnia, one of Edmund's pet names for Lucy had been 'Silly Lily'.

"Fine Meri, I guess I deserve that for getting you into this," Lucy mumbled unhappily. Raising her arm, she rattled the chain that was attached to her wrist. "Speaking of which, do you have a plan to get us out of here?"

"Perhaps." Ed looked up. "Would you have a hair pin?"

Lucy planted her hands on her hips and stared at her brother until the realization hit him.

Blushing, he slowly reached up and pulled a pin loose from his own hair, letting the tight curls cascade down around his face.

"Well," Susan's voice drifted around the cloudy mass of rag-curlers that now topped Edmund's head. "I guess it turned out to be a good thing you let your hair grow out, brother."

Edmund grunted as she stretched the final strand of wet hair out from his scalp, winding it tightly around the cloth Lucy handed her. Susan finished off by tying the ends of the cloth in a knot and patting the curler into the mass that now adorned his head.

Glancing in his sister's mirror, Ed could hardly believe what he had gotten himself into. Invisible beneath his hair, the skin was stretched taut as a full sail, pulling his forehead higher, arching his thick eyebrows and making his eyes look huge. He could feel every blink all the way to be base of his neck. Susan came up behind him and wrapped a thick, warm towel around his wet hair, easily flipping it into a stylish turban.

"Hmm, Lucy?" His older sister stepped around in front of him and stared hard at his eyes.

"Yes Su? Oh, they look like a couple of caterpillars." Lucy quickly turned, rummaging through the mess the three of them had made out of Susan's vanity.

A moment later, she turned back, handing Susan a pair of tweezers.

"Oh no! No Su! No, no, no, no, and NO!" He tried to get off of the chair and run, but Lucy leaped to grab his shoulders and pinned him back in the seat.

"Sit still Meri!" Susan leaned in with the tweezers. "It only hurts a moment and you must look your best."

Tears formed at the corners of his eyes, dripping free as Ed flinched. Using all his willpower to resist the urge to scream as his sister plucked the first hair from his eyebrows. His head shook back and forth, refusing to be still for her to continue torturing him.

Lucy leaned in close to his right ear. "Be still Ed, or she'll pluck your leg hairs instead of letting you shave them."

"S...sh...shave? M...my legs?!" Edmund froze.

"Of course, Meri." Susan clacked the ends of the tweezers together. "Unless you _want_ me to pluck them. Now be still."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Once again, many thanks to the crowd at TheLionsCall and in particular to the eInklings: Online Writing Group. In particular, Inkling Astrophel, Petraverd, and Faithful Pure Light for their invaluable feedback.

**Chapter Five**

Edmund carefully worked the hair pin in the lock around Lucy's wrist. The chain from his own arm dangled loose where he'd hooked it temporarily on the sash of his gown. The gentle swells surging beneath the ship had not made picking the locks easy, but with a final click from the hidden tumblers, the chain around his sister's arm fell free.

"So Meri, what now?" Lucy looked expectantly at him as she followed his lead and draped the loose chain through her own sash.

He strode over to the only door leading from the hold. Scooping a ladle full of water from the barrel by the exit, he held it out to her. Lucy shook her head; he lifted bowl to his lips, taking a long swallow before returning it to the cask by the hatch.

Leaning against the wood and resting his ear against timbers, he listened carefully for any sounds from about the ship. Over the mournful tones of the flexing hull he could vaguely hear the distant voices of the deck crew and make out the sound of at least one pair of boots on the planking. Lucy sat silently watching him as he remained listening there for several minutes.

Satisfied that there was no one standing guard outside the door and that he would hear their captors approach, Ed turned to survey the hold. Spaced evenly around the room were twelve heavy rings, ten of which having chains locked to them and dangling into haphazard piles on the deck. The lack of sound from nearby rooms in the hold led him to believe that he and Lucy were the only captives aboard the vessel.

"Now, Lily," he inquired softly. "I'll need you tell me what we are up against."

"Me?" Lucy looked at him in surprise. "I told you that I had a sack over my head."

"And I was knocked unconscious. You remember every detail of every party you and Susan have hosted. You could feel, smell and most importantly hear. Tell me what you remember."

--

Ed sat before the mirror in the lady's guest suite. Immediately after embarking him upon the transformation into Mericu Susan had moved him there. _'I want you where I can make sure you practice,' _she had teased. He chuckled under his breath at the insanity that caused him to be lodged in such a feminine confection of a room; sitting before an ornate mirror and practicing soft, demure expressions. Schooling his face into a surprisingly attractive pout, he drew the stiff brush through his hair for the one hundredth stroke. Even after two weeks, he could not stop staring at the disturbingly attractive reflection gazing back at him out of the glass.

"Why did I let my hair grow so long," he growled. Nearly unbidden, his hand leaped to his mouth and his eyes widened. He repeated the phrase, modulating his voice to the fetching contralto that his sisters now insisted he use at all times. After saying it several times, he felt confident he could fully express the emotion without breaking character.

With a sigh he stood up and lay the brush on the table. Turning before the mirror, he posed different angles, studying how two weeks of wearing the corset had compressed his waistline to a wasp-like form. Even when wearing a loose dressing gown, as he was now, he had taken on a decidedly feminine figure. If he weren't the boy wearing the outfit, Ed would never believe the girl looking back at him was anything but the real thing.

A soft knock at the door interrupted his examination of the raven haired beauty behind the glass. Lucy's voice drifted through the thick wood, reminding Mericu that it was time to get ready for today's trial. Ed glided across the floor to let her in, the soft material of his dress swaying gently about his hips with each step.

Suddenly realizing how he was holding his arms and walking he began to wonder if he would ever manage to rid himself of the feminine mannerisms. His sisters had been drilling them into him from dawn till well after dusk since the night Susan and Lucy had first dressed him. He was beginning to feel that they were now almost as deeply ingrained as his sword fighting reflexes.

Having entered, Lucy's cocked eyebrow and intense stare sent Ed scuttling back to the mirror. Wincing at the imperfection his sister had spotted, he snagged the tweezers off the silver tray and plucked the three offending hairs from his brow. Lu's gentle laughter continued to echo in his ears as she helped him dress and escorted him to the hall.

At the sight of the throng of young maidens gathered outside the door, Ed blanched. The firm pressure of Lucy's hand in the small of his back kept him moving forward. All of the girls briefly stared at him in an appraising manner; many turning dismissively back to their companions with a flounce.

"Don't mind them, Meri," Lucy whispered. "They're just jealous."


End file.
